Tabulating-machine



J. E. WRIGHT.

TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man SEPT.24, 191s.

' Patented Mar, 16, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET J. E'. WRIGHT.

TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1918.

Patented Mar.16,192 0.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ES INVENTOR, W a. naw 45 ATTORNEYS il I l l. ll

*5 Q sw m w J. E. WRIGHT.

TABULATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, I918.

1,333,890. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

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J. E. WRIGHT;

TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.24, 1918 Patentd Mar. 16,1920.

v I verzfor I UNIE sate men.

JOHN E. WRIGHT, or new YonK, N. Y.

TABULATING-MACHINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application'filed September 24, 1918.- Serial No. 255,424.

tion for Letters Patent is based is an improvement in tabulatingmachines. In general, these machines are now well known, beinginextensive use, although their specific purposes and functions may verywidely differ. For a more ready comprehension of the nature of mypresent improvement, however, it may be stated that in variouscommercial and other undertakings it is customary to punch cards withcertain distinctive holes, which, by their number or position therein,indicate given things such as the character of certain articles ofcommerce, the number sold, the cost, the machine by which they wereproduced or what not. and at any time when such a computation may bedesired, selected groups of these cards are run through a tabulatingmachine which produces a record, printed or otherwise, of the number ofpieces, their cost, and the totals of such other items indicated by thepunched holes as may be required.

Heretofore one method of carrying out these operations has been to use aseries of pins, equal in number to the maximum number of distinctiveholes that might be punched in the cards, and to bring such pinsagainstthe face of the cards successively,

so that those pins that register with punched holes will pass throughthe card and act through suitable instrumentalit-ies to record, print ortotalize the items corresponding to the punched holes. In a generalsense, my improved apparatus herein set forth per- 1 tains to this classof mechanism. but it accomplishos certain new results and performs theseand others in a more simple, effective and economical manner than any ofthe devices for this purpose which have preceded it.

In carrying out my invention, I use a smaller number of punched holesthan has heretofore been required. for indicating the data which it isdesired to record. For example, I propose by in) device to punch in thecards holes to represent all of the letters of the alphabet, whereby acard will indicate, for example, the article to which it is intendedtorelate, and which will be printed by the device, and for this purposeI use only six holes, the different permutations and combinations ofwhich in the card represent the difi'erent letters.

For the ten digits from 0 to 9, I use but four holes, and. as there arebut ten combinations required I am not required to use more than twoholes to indicate any given figure.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

The cards when punched as required are sorted in the usual manner intogroups, and

then by the means hereinafter described I print on a strip or sheet ofpaper the letters corresponding to the holes in one part or section ofthe cards, the numerals corresponding to those in other anddiii'erentsections, and the totals of any number of numerical items that may bedesired.

The means which I employ for this purpose are illustrated chiefly indiagram in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the complete system.

Fig.2 is alsoa diagram illustration of the'character and the purpose ofthe elements of the'tabulating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the printing bars forcharacters and numerals.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the means for turning the character barin a horizontal plane.

Fig. 5 is aperspective view on a somewhat larger scale of the mechanismemployed. I

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration. of mechanism.

Fig. .7 illustrates a key of the holes, their number and position,which, when punched in a card, indicate the various letters ofthealphabet.

Fig. 8 is a similar illustration of a key to the holes which indicatenumbers or totals.

Fig. 9 represents a punched card and the printed record correspondingthereto, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the leaves oi one of the translatorsused in the device, showing the notches in said leaves which are broughtinto line by the movements of said leaves.

The punched cards which are used with this device are usually of acertain kind or class sorted out from a large number 3 11 sorter, a wellknown form of mechanism, and are placed in a receiver 1 and pressedforward by a suitable device 2 against driven rollers 3, which, by eachcomplete revolution, move one card down into a chute 4:. We may assumefor purposes of this case, that each card 5 is like that shown in Fig.9, that is to'say, the first section to the left is marked Subject andcontains ten vertical rows in which holes 6 are punched in differentnumbers and positions to in dicate letters of the alphabet. As a matterof convenience, no word of over ten letters can be printed in full, suchwords being abbreviated. The succeeding sections, in this case three innumber, bear appropriate designations and contain each ten vertical rowswith holes to indicate numerals, the object being to provide for anynumber in each section containing a maximum of ten digits.

Back of the chute l in a laterally movable box or frame 7 are supportedpins 8 equal in number to the maximum number of holes that might underany circumstances be used to indicate all of the different charactersand numbers. Each pin is surrounded by a spiral spring 9 which permitsit to yield when, the box or frame being forced forward. its end meets afixed resistance, and each pin has a hooked end 10 which is adapted toengage a spring or pivoted contact 11 when the pin is moved forward agiven distance. \Vhen a card. therefore. is passeddown into the chute land the pins are carried forward by their box or frame support, all ofsaid pins will pass through holes 12 in the wall of the chute. but thosepins only which register with punched holes in the card will passthrough the latter and thereby move forward sufliciently to engage withthe contacts 11.

From each'contact 11. and there are asmany contacts as there are pins, aconnecting wire 13 leads to an electro-magnct 14. and. for convenience.we may first consider those magnets of the first group marked Subject,which operate to print letters. It will be understood that over the areaof the first section of the card there are sufficient pins to registerwith all the holes that may possibly be punched to indicate thetwentysix letters of the alphabet.

The magnets may be considered as arranged in groups of four. and eachmagnet has an armature 1.5, see Fig. 5, connected by rod 16 with apivoted bell-crank lever 17. When a magnet is energized, it drawsforward its ari'nature which is normally in its retracted position, butis locked in its advanced position by a spring actuated catch 18. andthis operates to depress the long arm of the lever 1'7. which engageswith 1. pin set on a translator leaf or rectangular plate 19. Theseplates 19 are arranged in groups of four and contain notches 20 alongthe inner edges of their forward sides. Light rectangular frames 21,carrying pins 22 and actuated by springs 23, surround the forward sidesof the leaves 19 and are pre vented from moving under the force of thesesprings by the high or unnotched portions of the sides.

The holes in a card which correspond to a certainletter will permit oneor more pins 8 to move forward and this will result in one or more of agroup of magnets 1-1 shifting the leaves of the translator and by suchshifting a line of notches in one of the group of four adjacent leaves19 will be brought into line under frame 21, and that frame willconsequently move forward and project its pin 22 for a given distancebeyond the front guide plate 21.

Each group of translator leaves or plates 19, controls in this way themovements of ten pins 22, and every letter indicating hole or group ofholes in the card will cause one of the pins in one of the tentranslator groups of four leaves to project beyond the front guideplate. I

In front of each vertical row of the pins 22 is a bar or frame 25 whichcarries a type bar 26. These type bars are on spindles mounted inhearings in projecting bent portions of the bars and are capable ofrot-.r tion therein. On the side of the type bar which is normallypresented to the printing platen are the type for the first ten lettersof the alphabet, or A to J inclusive; on the side normally to the right.are the type for the next ten letters or K to T. and on the side to theleft are the type for U to Z.

The rods 25 and type bars 26 are pivoted to the end of long levers 27,to which are connected springs 2S.- Normally the levers 27 are held downagainst the force of these springs by catches 29 controlled byelectromagnets 30 in series with each of the four magnets 11, so thatwhen any one or more of these latter is energized and operates tothrowout a pin 22, magnet 30 is also energized and releases the lever27, which there upon forces the type bar upward until a pin 31 on therod or frame encounters that pin 22 which has been projected by thetranslator. Each type bar is thus capable of assuming ten differentvertical positions and if the letter desired is on the sidenormallypresented to the platen that letter may be printed by an impulse ofcurrent through an electro-magnet 32 which throws forward a plunger 33that rocks the type bar and causes the desired type thereon to printupon a sheet of paper 31.

If the letter to be printed.however, is on either the right or the leftside of the type bar. the latter is turned to the left or the right. asthe case may be, to bring the desired letter into the proper plane forprinting. This is accomplished by using two holes in the cards forcontrolling the position of the type bar laterally. In Figs. 7 and 9these holes are shown as occurring in the fifth and sixth horizontalrows, and when a letter is to be printed which is. say on the left handside of the type bar. a hole in the sixth row sends a current to anelectro-magnet 35. which shifts a slide bar 36 with a beveled end thatengages with the left hand edge of the prolongation 37 of the. type barspindle and which is fiat as shown in Fig. l. and thereby turns the saidspindle, as shown at the right in said figure. and this brings thedesired letter into the printing plane. If the letter is on the righthand side of the type bar another magnet 35, Fig. 5, shifts anotherslide 38 and turns the bar in the opposite direction.

hen the slides 36 or 38 have been forced forward they are held in thatposit-ion by a catch lever 39. controlled by an electromagnet 40 whichreleases them at the proper time as will be hereinafter ex- I plained.In this way any word of ten letters may be printed on the sheet 3.

The numerals are printed by the same means as the letters except thatfor the ten digits. but four holes are required in groups of not morethan two, and the type bars 41 for numerals contain type "on only oneside and are not shifted as are those for letters. It is also desirablethat the plunger or slide 33 for the numeral type bars should have apointed end that enters a correspondingly shaped notch in the -type barwhereby the latter is correctly alined for printing.

The mechanism by means of which the device is operated is illustrated inFig. 2 to which reference is now made. In this figure $2 is a shaftcontinuously driven during the operation of the device by a worm gear l3and a pinion Hz. This shaft transmits motion to the card shifting disks3. its rate of rotation being one half that of the said disks. hen,therefore. a card has passed fully into the chute l. a contact 46carried or operated by the shaft 42 ClOSQs I the circuit of anelectro-magnet l5. which operates to throw forward the pin box or frame7. The pins are thus ad]usted as above described to set the translatorsand their functions for that operation have then ended. The magnet 45which is only momentarily energized then permits the pin frame to beretracted and the next operation is the result of the closing by acontact device 47 on shaft 2 of the circuit of a magnet 49, which opensthe bottom of the chute and permits the card therein to fall out whileanother card is descending into the chute.

The next operation is the closing by a contact device 49, on shaft *2,the circuit to the printing magnets 32, it being understood that by thistime the type bars have been set to their proper positions. Then by aContact device 50 on shaft *2 the circuit is closed to a magnet 51 whichraises a bar 52 that raises the catches 18 and permits the armaturelevers 15 to return to their normal positions. The next operation is theclosing of a circuit by a contact device 53 to magnet *0, which raisescatches 39 and permits the slides 36 or 38 to be retracted and the typebars to resume normal positions, and finally a contact device 54. on

shaft l2 closes the circuit to the magnet which feeds the paper to amagnet 56 which controls a clutch 57 on shaft l2 and thereby connectswith such shaft a cam shaft 58 which operates to rotate an elongated cam59, which engages with the levers QT and depresses such as have beenraised back into engagement with their catches 29. This cycle ofoperations follows the introduction of every card.

If it be desired to print the total'of any column of figures, eleveninstead of ten pins 22 may be used with a group of four translatorleaves and this extra pin may be operated by a special or total holepunched in a card to close the circuit to an electro-magnet 60, Fig. 1.by bringing together by the pin operated by such hole two contacts 61.This magnet vmay work or control the totalizing key of any suitableadding device.

It will be observed that with each translator element for numerals tenpins or rods are normally used and these pins may be regarded as theequivalents of the levers which are actuated whenever the keys of anadding machine are depressed. That is to say. the four holes or any ofthem punched in a cardsuch as shown herein. call for the ten digits, bymeans of the translator, as completely as if the card contained apunched hole for each digit, and

the forward movement of a pin 22 may be consldered as having the sameeffect on an adding machine as would the depression of a key. Themechanism, in other words,

which is controlled by the translators may be an adding machine with aprinting attachment so that not only are the punched indications in thecards reproduced in letters and numerals but the totals of any number ofnumerals in any column may be printed in response to a total hole orhOlQS punched in any card.

The mechanism herein described is very much less complicated andcumbersome than those now used for this purpose. It has also greatercapabilities and is adapted for general and widely varying uses. Havingnow described my what I claim is 1. In a tabulating machine, thecombinainvention.

. against the card, of a series of magnet-s an ,and means tion withmeans for holding a punched card and means for forcing yielding pinsergized by those pins which register with and pass through perforationsin the card, translators operated or adapted to be set by the action ofsaid magnets, type bars, some containing letters of the alphabet andothers numerals, each of said type bars being adapted to be set inpositions determined by the condition of those translators which havebeen set by the magnets, means for printing the characters thus broughtto the printing position, and means for controlling the setting and thereturn to normal po' sition of the several parts of the apparatus.

2. In a tabulating machine, the combination of a series of type barsadapted to be moved and brought to such positions that the desired typethereon will stand in the printing position, devices operating onpunched cards for so setting said type bars. according to the number andposition of the holes in the cards, a translator in cooperative relationto each type bar, electromagnets fewer in number than the possiblepositions of the type bars for setting or operating the translators,means for setting and printing from the type bars when set, controlledby holes in the cards. and means for controlling such apparatus andreturning the parts to normal position after each printing operatlon.

3. In a tabulating machine, the combination with a holder for punchedcards and.

yielding pins adapted to be forced against the cards so that thosepinswhich register with holes in the cards will pass through the same, of aseries of type bars having type for letters of the alphabet operated bycertain of the holes in the punched cards, other type bars havingnumerals and operated by other holes in the cards, a translator incooperative relation to each type bar, electro-magnets fewer in numberthan the possible positions of the type bars for controlling theoperation of the translators and means for setting the type barsaccording to the con-- ditions set up in the translators by the passageof pins through holes in the cards, means for positioning the characterson the type bars thus brought to printing position, for controllingthese and the other necessary operations of the apparatus.

4. In a tabulating machine, the combination with means for holdingpunched cards, of translators and means for setting or operating thesame, according to the number and position of the holes in the cards,type bars controlled by the setting of the translators, certain of whichhave letters of the alphabet adapted to be operated by one set of holesin a card to bring to the printing position the letters of given words,and other type bars having numerals adapted to be operated by other setsof holes in the card to bring into printing position the digits of ,a

nally to different points according to the number of positions of theholes in a card and means also controlled by one or more holes in a cardfor partially rotating the type bars in either direction to present thedesired column 'of letters in the printing plane. and means for printingthe letters thus brought to position.

6. In a tabulating machine, the combination with means for holdingpunched cards, of translators and means for setting or operating thesame according to the combinations of not more than four holes in thecards, type bars controlled as to longitudinal position only by saidtranslators when set, and each having the-ten digits thereon, means formoving said type bars to positions determined by the conditions of thetranslators and means for printing the numerals thus brought to theprinting position.

7. In a tabulating machine, the combination with means for holdingpunched cards, of a series of type bars each having at least tencharacters in a vertical row thereon, translators for controlling thesetting of such bars to bring any desired character in a row to theprinting position, electro-magnets less than ten in number forcontrolling the setting or operation of the translators according tothenumber and position of the holes in the cards, means for printingfrom said bars and means for setting and restoring the several partsafter each printing operation. I

8. In a tabulating machine, the combination with'a group oflongitudinally and rotatably movable type bars having letters of thealphabet thereon, and one or more groups of longitudinally movable typebars having the digits thereon, of translators one for each type baradapted to be operated by holes in a punched card and suitable mechanismcontrolled thereby for setting a stop at the desired elevation, meansfor moving the type bars up to said stop and means for printing thecharacters thereon which by such means have been brought to suchelevation and into printing position.

9. In a tabulating machine, a series of type bars movable in line withand around a longitudinal axis, of a holder for punched cards and meanscontrolled by the number and position of holes in each card for settingthe type bars in the corresponding posit-ion along the line of theiraxes, and of rotating them to bring the desired character into theprinting plane.

10. In a tabulating inachine, the combination with a series of paralleltype bars, a:

or combination of six holes in a punched tabulating card.eleCtro-niagnets adapted to be energized by means cooperating with saidnunched holes in a card. translators adapted to be set or controlled bysaid magnets and adapted to set the several type bars accord ing to thenumber and position of the holes, to present in printing position thebars which correspond to said punched holes.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atfix my signature.

JOHX E. WRIGHT,

